Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Boak
This no doubt reduced the exposure of US pilots to any genuinely worn machines. That doesn't mean they couldn't and didn't exist.
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The war-weary 'WW' marked P-51's depicted in the book "look" worn out. There is no doubt about that. They just have that look.
And some of the operational ones don't look much better. The P-47 book (Vol. 3) has pictures of some very worn out, but operational, Razorbacks.
I think this thread touches on a fact most of us often ignore: that combat aircraft on both sides were weapons of war not unlike like tanks. Both looked and performed "factory fresh" for a very, very, short period of time.
Who was the Eastern Front Luftwaffe Expert that stress-wrinkled the skin of both wings on his first mission, and over revved the engine (and crash landed) on his second?
Bronc